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So Charlie Batch believes the Steelers drafted Landry Jones to ultimately replace Ben Roethlisberger. If that were the case, the Steelers should try the lottery instead because they’d have a better chance finding Roethlisberger's successor with the $20 scratch-offs.

Here is a list of quarterbacks who were drafted in the fourth round or later through 2009 who were still in the NFL in 2012: Josh Johnson, Matt Flynn, Isaiah Stanback, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith, Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Orton, Dan Orlovsky, Derek Anderson, Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Luke McCown, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady.

Hasselbeck and Brady, both sixth-round draft picks, were the best. Hasselbeck, drafted by Green Bay, made three Pro Bowls with Seattle and Brady is going to the Hall of Fame.

Cassel, drafted in the seventh round by New England, played one season for the Patriots when Brady was hurt, was traded to Kansas City and has since been replaced. He made one Pro Bowl.

Fitzpatrick, drafted by St. Louis in the seventh round in 2005, finally became a starter with his third team, the Buffalo Bills, who just drafted his replacement in the first round.

Anderson, drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round in 2005, actually became a starter for the Browns in his second season, but that didn’t last and he was with his third team last year.

Orton, drafted in the fourth round by Chicago in 2005, started as a rookie, was hurt, started again in 2008, and then was traded to Denver, where he started 2 1/2 seasons before they brought in Peyton Manning. Last year, Orton was on his fourth team, appearing in one game with the Cowboys.

Gradkowski, drafted in the sixth round by Tampa Bay in 2006, started 11 games for the Bucs as a rookie, started none in his second season and never became a regular again. He is a backup with his fifth team, the Steelers.

Thigpen, drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round in 2007, started 11 games for Kansas City in 2008 and has started one game since and was with his fourth team, counting the Vikings, last season, the Bills.

Flynn, drafted by Green Bay in the seventh round in 2008, started two games for the Packers in four seasons and was supposed to be the 2012 starter in Seattle until rookie Russell Wilson came along. Flynn is now with his third team, the Oakland Raiders.

Johnson, drafted in the fifth round by Tampa Bay in 2008, was with the Browns last season and has started five games in four seasons.

What that tells you is this: Brady, really, became the only quarterback drafted by the team he would go on to lead for a number of years as their starting quarterback. Hasselbeck, the only other true success story still in the league, had to go to another team after starting 0 games in two years with the Packers.

That history is not a bad one for Landry Jones. It shows that quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later can make it in the NFL and stick around for awhile. All he has to do is ask his new teammate, Bruce Gradkowski. But that history also shows if he does make it, it’s not likely to occur with the Steelers, the team that drafted him. That’s rare.

What history does show is that the Steelers used their fourth-round pick on a quarterback to, at best, prepare him for life in the NFL with another team.

We turn now to our Reader Research corner, where we received an email from Gerard Sepe of Liberty University, who delves a little further into the history of quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round and beyond. I’m presenting his research here, not authenticating it:

Writes Sepe:

“To think that Landry Jones will become anything more than a backup QB would be foolish. To even become a quality backup will be an accomplishment for a fourth round QB. If I'm not mistaken roughly 125 QB have been taken from round 4 on in the past 25 years and so few have made it as starters.

Thank you, Gerard, even though that’s a top 9, we get the point. And the point is, if you want to find a young, backup quarterback, go ahead and draft one in the fourth round or later. If you want to find one who will succeed Ben Roethlisberger, wait until his career ends, then go get one.

The one big azz assumption of this story. That the Steelers selected Landry Jones to be anything other than a back-up. If they hit on this pick, good for them. If he is nothing more than a good back-up, it was still a good pick considering Ben's injury history.

Originally Posted by hawaiiansteel

Ed: NFL History Shows Rookie QB Won't Succeed Ben

WEDNESDAY, 01 MAY 2013 WRITTEN BY ED BOUCHETTE

Good May Day morning,

So Charlie Batch believes the Steelers drafted Landry Jones to ultimately replace Ben Roethlisberger. If that were the case, the Steelers should try the lottery instead because they’d have a better chance finding Roethlisberger's successor with the $20 scratch-offs.

Here is a list of quarterbacks who were drafted in the fourth round or later through 2009 who were still in the NFL in 2012: Josh Johnson, Matt Flynn, Isaiah Stanback, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith, Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Orton, Dan Orlovsky, Derek Anderson, Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Luke McCown, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady.

Hasselbeck and Brady, both sixth-round draft picks, were the best. Hasselbeck, drafted by Green Bay, made three Pro Bowls with Seattle and Brady is going to the Hall of Fame.

Cassel, drafted in the seventh round by New England, played one season for the Patriots when Brady was hurt, was traded to Kansas City and has since been replaced. He made one Pro Bowl.

Fitzpatrick, drafted by St. Louis in the seventh round in 2005, finally became a starter with his third team, the Buffalo Bills, who just drafted his replacement in the first round.

Anderson, drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round in 2005, actually became a starter for the Browns in his second season, but that didn’t last and he was with his third team last year.

Orton, drafted in the fourth round by Chicago in 2005, started as a rookie, was hurt, started again in 2008, and then was traded to Denver, where he started 2 1/2 seasons before they brought in Peyton Manning. Last year, Orton was on his fourth team, appearing in one game with the Cowboys.

Gradkowski, drafted in the sixth round by Tampa Bay in 2006, started 11 games for the Bucs as a rookie, started none in his second season and never became a regular again. He is a backup with his fifth team, the Steelers.

Thigpen, drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round in 2007, started 11 games for Kansas City in 2008 and has started one game since and was with his fourth team, counting the Vikings, last season, the Bills.

Flynn, drafted by Green Bay in the seventh round in 2008, started two games for the Packers in four seasons and was supposed to be the 2012 starter in Seattle until rookie Russell Wilson came along. Flynn is now with his third team, the Oakland Raiders.

Johnson, drafted in the fifth round by Tampa Bay in 2008, was with the Browns last season and has started five games in four seasons.

What that tells you is this: Brady, really, became the only quarterback drafted by the team he would go on to lead for a number of years as their starting quarterback. Hasselbeck, the only other true success story still in the league, had to go to another team after starting 0 games in two years with the Packers.

That history is not a bad one for Landry Jones. It shows that quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later can make it in the NFL and stick around for awhile. All he has to do is ask his new teammate, Bruce Gradkowski. But that history also shows if he does make it, it’s not likely to occur with the Steelers, the team that drafted him. That’s rare.

What history does show is that the Steelers used their fourth-round pick on a quarterback to, at best, prepare him for life in the NFL with another team.

We turn now to our Reader Research corner, where we received an email from Gerard Sepe of Liberty University, who delves a little further into the history of quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round and beyond. I’m presenting his research here, not authenticating it:

Writes Sepe:

“To think that Landry Jones will become anything more than a backup QB would be foolish. To even become a quality backup will be an accomplishment for a fourth round QB. If I'm not mistaken roughly 125 QB have been taken from round 4 on in the past 25 years and so few have made it as starters.

Thank you, Gerard, even though that’s a top 9, we get the point. And the point is, if you want to find a young, backup quarterback, go ahead and draft one in the fourth round or later. If you want to find one who will succeed Ben Roethlisberger, wait until his career ends, then go get one.

not sure how this writer can come to the conclusion that this was a wasted pick no matter what. what about if Landry Jones develops into our next frachise QB?

The Steel Mill

Instant Analysis (LANDRY JONES)

April 27th, 2013

The Steelers haven’t selected a quarterback as high as Landry Jones since they took Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft.

Jones marks just the third quarterback — Omar Jacobs and Dennis Dixon — since the Steelers selected Roethlisberger when they drafted the Oklahoma quarterback with the 115th pick (fourth round) on Saturday.

“I am going to come in and compete as hard as I can and try to win the job,” Jones said. “At the end of the day this is going to be a great opportunity for me whether I play quick or whether I have to sit and wait a couple years.”

The Steelers felt that they needed to get younger at the position and that’s what they accomplished over the past few months. They replaced 33-year-old Byron Leftwich and 38-year-old Charlie Batch with 24-year-old Jones and 30-year-old Bruce Gradkowski (signed as free agent).

“It was just time to start grooming a young player, to freshen up the room, if you will,” quarterback coach Randy Fichtner said. “This now gives Ben an opportunity to share his experiences and that’s an exciting time.”

When it comes to the Jones pick, that’s the only benefit I see in it is that they got younger.

A fourth round pick is a pretty hefty price to pay for a guy that you HOPE never plays. And if he does play, you are probably not going to be a contender for the Super Bowl anyways.

With a team that has so many needs like inside linebacker, tight end, corner and even another receiver, it feels like a wasted opportunity to address one of those needs with a quarterback in the fourth round.

To me, it would’ve made more sense to wait a year on the quarterback and use an influx of possible compensatory picks next year to be able to address a position that isn’t an immediate need.

Instant analysis: Wasted pick even if he does turn out to be good down the road. Other issues needed to be addressed before addressing a backup quarterback.